Philosophy

Questions & Answers

Q: Why is it that Scandinavian Business Seating does not bear the European “Flower” Ecolabel?

A: Ecolabel has a wide range of products in its certification portfolio but has no group-certification for the task chair category. The label applies only to the use of wood and textiles in furniture. Companies pay a large amount of money to certify their products and can qualify for the European Ecolabel simply by using eco-friendly paper in their printers. Once they have qualified for the label, they can proudly display it on their websites, pretending that it also applies to their products. This is called “greenwashing” and is intended to deceive the customer. We choose to be completely open about all areas of our business, as they all affect the environment.

Q: Which HÅG products bear which certification labels?

All collections: 14025 EPD, GREENGUARD

HÅG FutuHÅG Futu has received the “Norwegian Design Council’s Sustainability Design Award”, the criteria for which include the development of a product or solution offering significant environmental characteristics from a lifecycle perspective.

Q: If you have products that go beyond national certification criteria, why don’t you simply secure all of the certifications?

A: (for all products)
We feel it is important to focus on the major international certification labels. There is a “jungle” of certification systems out there and many cover the same aspects. Our 5/3 principle covers all of the areas applied internationally, so why not keep it simple?

Q: What is the Greenguard Indoor Air Quality certification?

A: The Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) was founded in 2001 with the mission of improving human health and quality of life by enhancing indoor air quality and reducing people’s exposure to chemicals and other pollutants. The Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certification Program gives assurance that products designed for use in office environments meet strict chemical emissions limits which contribute to the creation of healthier interiors. The products are tested in independent laboratories for the emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and other individual substances like formaldehyde. Read more here.

Q: Your products claim to go beyond the Cradle to Cradle standard. So why don’t you have this certification?

A: “Three key areas are evaluated for this label:

Materials chemistry
– What chemicals are used in the materials? Are they specified? Are they the safest available?

Disassembly
– Can the product be disassembled at the end of its lifecycle? Can it then be recycled?

Recyclability
– Are any recycled materials used in the product?

This represents two of our five focus areas when it comes to contributing to a better environment. What this certification does not include, however, is energy consumption in transport and processing. Since Scandinavian Business Seating includes these aspects, we use the term “beyond cradle to cradle”.

Q: EPD? Why are you using this unknown certification?

A: We believe that ISO 14025-EPD will be one of the most important tools for benchmarking products as far as environmental criteria are concerned. Being able to track the impact that a product has on the environment has proved to be a great asset in making the world a better place to sit. HÅG was the first manufacturer in the world to have EPDs for all of its products in 2004. Talk is cheap, but if you can’t back it up with facts, it’s not worth much…

Q: Is it possible to rate the different certificates?

A: No, but by examining the criteria for each certificate, it is easy to see which affect what aspects of the environment.

Q: Is it possible to rate a company’s environmental performance, based on these certificates?

A: Yes, we believe that if you meet the standards mentioned, you can measure a company very accurately on every aspect that you feel is important for your choice of product. The criteria of the different standards are simple and clear, and we are completely open about our performance. In contrast, companies that have something to hide usually do so.